Panel inserting apparatus for beehive partition assembly

ABSTRACT

An automatic apparatus which may be adapted to a machine for manufacturing &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;beehive&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; baffle bodies for inserting the longitudinal elements of said bodies, having a magazine containing said elements, means to push one of said elements towards an inserting device which conveys said element into deflecting guide means which is actuated intermittently with said pusher by means of actuated members, a plurality of vertical parallel channels below said deflecting guide means to receive said elements and to allow said elements to drop onto said conveying means, said actuating members for the deflecting guide means adapted to provide for the introduction of one of said elements at a time, successively, into each channel.

United StatesPatent n 1 Roda [ PANEL INSERTING APPARATUS FOR BEEHIVE PARTITION ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Emilio Roda, Noranco, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Fratelli Roda S.A.,

Noranco-Lugano, Switzerland 22 Filed: Dec. 9, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 206,314

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 14, 1971 Switzerland 10398/71 [52] US. Cl 93/37 R [51] Int. Cl B3lb 1/02 [58] Field of Search 93/37 R, 38; 53/186 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,860,554 11/1958 Shields 93/37 R 3,058,271 10/1962 McGihon 53/186 X 3,685,401 8/1972 Peters 93/37 R 2,967,552 1/1961 Randolph 93/37 R X 2,643,590 6/1953 Ahlmeyer et a1. 93/37 R Dec. 11, 1973 2,767,625 10/1956 Schroeder.... 93/37 R 3,491,658 H1970 Zeller et a1... 93/37 R 3,626,818 12/1971 Anson 93/37 R Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant Examiner-Horace M. Culver Attorney-Maxwell E. Sparrow et al.

[57] ABSTRACT An automatic apparatus which may be adapted to a machine for manufacturing beehive baffle bodies for inserting the longitudinal elements of said bodies, having a magazine containing said elements, means to push one of said elements towards an inserting device which conveys said element into deflecting guide means which is actuated intermittently with said pusher by means of actuated members, a plurality of vertical parallel channels below said deflecting guide means to receive said elements and to allow said elements to drop onto said conveying means, said actuating members for the deflecting guide means adapted to provide for the introduction of one of said elements at a time, successively, into each channel.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures PANEL INSERTING APPARATUS FOR BEEHIVE PARTITION ASSEMBLY Various machines for manufacturing packing beehive baffle bodies to be inserted into boxes or cases for separating articles from each other, especially bottles and the like, are to be found at present on the market.

These machines usually are provided with a certain number of channels for introducing the longitudinal elements and with an automatic device for inserting the cross elements to complete the beehive body.

The insertion of the longitudinal elements into the above mentioned channels is effected manually what implies considerable labor expenses and consequent increase in the cost of the manufactured beehive bodies.

The automatic means for inserting the longitudinal elements into the above mentioned channels according to the present invention eliminates the above mentioned disadvantages or inconveniences and saves labor, and consequently decreasing production costs.

The automatic inserting apparatus for the longitudinal elements of packing beehive baffle bodies according to the present invention, which may be applied to any machine for manufacturing beehive baffle bodies, is characterized by: at cast a magazine having the above mentioned elements piled therein or placed side by side in a group; at least a pusher suited to push the lower element of the pile resp. the end element of the group towards an inserting device conveying same into deflecting guiding means actuated intermittently and in synchronism with said pusher by means of actuating members; a plurality of vertical, parallel channels placed below said deflecting guiding means at an adjustable reciprocal distance, said channels being open at their upper end to receive the elements coming from the deflecting guiding means and also open at their lower end to allow for said elements to come into contact with a conveying means or equivalent member placed below; said actuating members for the deflection guiding means being so designed as to introduce successively one element at the time into each channel.

According to a preferred embodiment, the above mentioned pusher operates horizontally and the inserting mechanism comprises a pair of rollers rotating in opposite direction which feed the element pushed by the pusher to a conveying band movable in horizontal direction, at the end of said band there being located a further conveying band comprising notched belts or equivalent means and movable in a vertical direction so that the element arriving horizontally to said vertical belt is made to change its direction and to enter vertically into the deflecting guide means placed below.

For a better understanding of the invention, the reader is referred to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beehive baffle body in the process of being formed and comprising two longitudinal elements 4 and one cross element 4; and

FIG. 2 is a view of the inserting apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

With reference to FIG. 1: the beehive body is formed with longitudinal elements 4, such as strips of corrugated cardboard cut-in at regular distances, and

with also cut-in cross elements 4' disposed perpendicularly to the longitudinal elements 4. Obviously the beehive body is usually made with more longitudinal and cross elements than the one illustrated by way of example in the drawing. The conventional machines for manufacturing and assembling the beehive bodies have, as mentioned, a plurality of channels which have the longitudinal elements 4 manually introduced thereinto while the cross elements 4' are inserted mechanically by pneumatic means.

The automatic inserting apparatus according to the present invention feeds the longitudinal elements 4-4 into the respective channels without any manual intervention; i.e., in a completely automatic manner. This inserting apparatus, which is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, may be used with to any machine of conventional type and forms a unit which may be easily transported and applied toany conventional machine.

The inserting apparatus comprises: a magazine 3 which has the longitudinal elements 4 piled therein. Below said magazine there is placed a pusher made of a blade 5 and a pneumatic or hydraulic piston 6. A pair of rollers 7-8 rotating in opposite sense to each other are provided on the same line as the pusher and accompany or bring to the conveying belt 9 the lower element of the pile 4 coming from the pusher 5. Said conveying belt moves in horizontal direction as indicated by the arrow.

In front of horizontal conveying belt 9, there is a further conveying band 10 placed perpendicularly thereto and formed by a plurality of notched belts, whereby the leading edge of each element 4 is engaged by one of said notches so that the panel pivots from a horizontal orientation to a vertical one.

Below the notched belt 10, the notches of which are placed at such a distance as to facilitate .the engagement of the leading edge of the longitudinal element 4, there are'disposed deflecting guides 11, 12 actuated by the drive members 13 comprising substantially a second pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder working in synchronism with the pusher 5-6.

Below the deflecting guides 11-12 there are provided the channels 2 and 2a which are parallel to each other, there placed side by side and open at their upper ends to receive the various elements 4 and also open downwards so that the lower end of the elements 4 may come to rest on the conveying belt 1 which feeds them to the device provided for introducing therein the crossed elements 4'. This last named device is not represented since it forms part of any conventional machine, to which the inserting apparatus of the invention is to be applied.

The drawing shows only two channels 2, 2a, but same could also be in a-larger number, whereby their reciprocal distance could also change to vary the distance between one longitudinal element and the next one according to the type of beehive body it is desired to manufacture.

The control and actuating member 13 has the function of displacing the deflecting guides ll, 12 at first on the first channel 2a, then on the second channel, then on the third one etc. coming then back to the first one for introducing again the first element into the first channel, the second element into the second channel, the third element into the third channel and so on.

The operation may be now easily understood: the lower element of the pile 4 is pushed by the blade 5 of the pusher 6 into and between the rollers 7 and 8 which feed it to the horizontally moving belt 9. When the element 4 comes into contact with the notched belt 10 it will change its direction and assume a vertical position falling down into the deflecting guides 11, 12. Since the movement of the control member 13 for the deflecting guide 11, 12 is synchronized with the movement of the pusher 6, the element 4 pushed by said pusher will enter at the right moment into the channel 2, the successive element will enter into the channel 2a, the successive one into the channel 2 and so on.

The longitudinal elements 4, instead of being placed in a vertical pile and being pushed horizontally by the pusher 5-6 on the belt 9, could be fed directly by free falling into the deflecting guides, thereby consenting to eliminate the introduction rollers 7, 8, the belt 9 and the notched band 10.

In this case however the elements 4 instead of being vertically piled are placed in a horizontal group; the pusher 5, 6 instead of moving horizontally will operate vertically, pushing the end element of the group into the deflecting guides 11, 12.

The illustrated embodiment, however, is preferable since it provides for a better functional reliability and may be easily operated.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for inserting longitudinal panels into partition assembly devices comprising a magazine operable to receive a stack of said panels in face to face relationship, a pair of oppositely rotating rollers disposed coplanar with the bottom of said magazine for reception and engagement of the bottom-most panel of said stack, a pusher operative to push said bottom-most panel from said magazine into engagement by said rollers, a horizontal first endless belt disposed to receive panels passing between said rollers, a second endless belt having notches on its surface slightly larger than the thickness of said panels, said second endless belt being disposed transversely to said first belt and operable to engage in one of said notches the leading edge of a panel moving on said first belt and to pivot said panel from its horizontal orientation on said first belt to a vertical orientation in which said panel is free of both of said first and second belts, deflector guide means disposed below said second belt, said deflector means being open at its top end to receive said panels attaining said vertical orientation and open at its lower end to distribute said panels in said partition assembly device, and means operable to move said deflector guide means to a plurality of distribution positions. 

1. An apparatus for inserting longitudinal panels into partition assembly devices comprising a magazine operable to receive a stack of said panels in face to face relationship, a pair of oppositely rotating rollers disposed coplanar with the bottom of said magazine for reception and engagement of the bottom-most panel of said stack, a pusher operative to push said bottom-most panel from said magazine into engagement by said rollers, a horizontal first endless belt disposed to receive panels passing between said rollers, a second endless belt having notches on its surface slightly larger than the thickness of said panels, said second endless belt being disposed transversely to said first belt and operable to engage in one of said notches the leading edge of a panel moving on said first belt and to pivot said panel from its horizontal orientation on said first belt to a vertical orientation in which said panel is free of both of said first and second belts, deflector guide means disposed below said second belt, said deflector means being open at its top end to receive said panels attaining said vertical orientation and open at its lower end to distribute said panels in said partition assembly device, and means operable to move said deflector guide means to a plurality of distribution positions. 